


Soul Calibur V- Episode VII

by TheThirdCharles



Series: Soul Calibur V [7]
Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Gen, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 06:49:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17523890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheThirdCharles/pseuds/TheThirdCharles
Summary: Pat strikes a deal, Zwei takes a bath, and Viola brings the roof down.





	Soul Calibur V- Episode VII

Soul Calibur V Episode 7

INT. Cultist barracks.

PAT stands below as the camera creeps up on him from AEON's perspective. Pat turns around, ready to draw his sword. Aeon crawls forward faster, leaping at him with twin axes. Pat rolls back. Cut back to a third person perspective. Aeon creeps towards Pat.

PAT  
Wait a minute.

Aeon's ear fins perk up in curiosity.

PAT  
Do you know what they're going to do to you and your people once it's time for the ritual?

Aeon's view drifts a bit, sadly before rejoining Pat's view with the same determination.

PAT  
Then you know they'll betray and kill you all. They don't respect the Lacertae, even though you people are the only ones keeping them from getting killed out there. The reason you didn't jump me a minute ago is that they'd only get in the way, yes? Instead, they just throw you at the problem, only to toss whoever survives in for their sacrifice. I know you can fight, and I'd wager you're still man enough to know when you're being had. Does your sect even believe in the golem?

Aeon stands up, out of a fighting stance, but with weapons still drawn. He looks inquisitively at Pat.

PAT  
You're the only one of the Lacertae I've heard one of them address by name. Your name's Aeon?

Aeon nods. Pat extends his hand for a handshake, putting away Soul Calibur.

PAT  
Patroklos. I'm not asking you to turn on them, but I just need a moment to free my friend. That's all I ask. Can you give me that?

Aeon walks forward, standing up with as normal posture as he can muster. He's about as tall as Pat, putting away his axes and moving to accept the handshake. At the last minute, he grasps and axe with his tail an cleaves it at Pat's hand. Pat withdraws his hand, kicking Aeon against the wall. Aeon clings to the wall, supporting himself three feet off the floor. He snickers and quickly crawls out of the barracks. Pat puts his mask back on and runs out after him. When he's out, Aeon is nowhere to be found. CULTISTS run from the armory to the main chamber, brandishing crossbows, scythes, and flails. One stops to call over Pat.

CULTIST  
The time is upon us, brother! The wolf arrives!

PAT  
O-on my way! Save me a scythe!

PAT  
(To himself)  
Have they not heard of swords?

Pat is handed a scythe as he follows the others. He walks with CULTISTS 3 and 4 from the last episode, Cultist 3 armed with a crossbow and Cultist 4 dressed in especially elaborate ceremonial robes with a thurible (incense dispenser).

CULTIST 3  
A scythe man? It's funny, brother, I thought you said you hated the things.

PAT  
'Tis a time of change. Besides, I figure the scythe is more... appropriate.

CULTIST 3  
Delicious! I like the way you think.

The massive axe over the sacrificial waters comes into view.

PAT  
Wow, that's large.

CULTIST 3  
Not for Astaroth. When he rises, he'll tear the axe from the wall and then the spines from our enemies.

Pat sees Aeon on a high ledge being helped into his regalia by two other Lacertae, always holding Pat on his peripheral vision, sniffing him out and gesturing to the Lacertae.

CULTIST 4  
Wretched creatures. Father Galeen shouldn't even allow their leader to attend.

PAT  
Aeon?

CULTIST 4  
That's the one. Father Galeen's usually so good about keeping them in place, but Aeon he keeps as his personal bodyguard. The rest of them are being sent out to secure the temple, but Aeon gets to stay and watch the ceremony. Absurd.

PAT  
The best we can do is give him a little something to upset his nose. Why not give us a cloud of the incense now?

CULTIST 4  
Love the enthusiasm, brother. See? We all knew you'd fit in here eventually.

Cultist 4 swings the thurible. The rest of the Cultists take this as the signal to begin a chant to which Pat realizes he doesn't know the words to.

PAT  
(To himself)  
Goddamnit!

CULTIST 3  
What is wrong with you? Pray with us, brother.

PAT  
I can't! I'm just too overcome with emotions!

CULTIST 4  
Pfft. Fine, but you'd better be drowning in tears within that mask.

PAT  
Will do.

Pat and thirty CULTISTS gather around the sacrificial waters, half at the edge to pray and half further back as armed security. Pat looks up to see THALER, GALEEN, FLAMBERGE, THALER SOLDIERS, CULTISTS, PRISONERS, CULTIST ENVOY, who is badly wounded, and ZWEI enter down the steps. Zwei looks himself over, the silver shards still all over him.

ZWEI  
So, what've you guys got in store for me?

GALEEN  
First, we break you. Then, Mister Thaler has requested your friend's pelt, so I suppose we'll take that. Afterwards, we throw the two of you into the sacrificial waters.

ZWEI  
You're just gonna kill us?

GALEEN  
Ah, but I never said we would do that. You're living through the experience as much as you wish you wouldn't. Then your soul is his.

ZWEI  
Oh. On the bright side, you can't make me look much worse than Flamberge's face.

GALEEN  
Oh ye of little faith. And here we have so little time. Mr. Flamberge, could you maybe get him to the waters a bit faster?

Flamberge kicks out Zwei's feet from under him as Zwei falls down the steps grunting in pain all the way down.

GALEEN  
Thank you.

Thaler steps forward, scoping out the hall, impressed.

THALER  
Fine place you've got here.

GALEEN  
Mister Thaler, you're too kind.

Aeon lands from a jump well above them, dressed in formal robes and armor covering all of his face and skin. He bows.

GALEEN  
Ah, Aeon. I trust your kind is seeing to the situation outside?

Aeon nods. Galeen speaks quietly to Aeon.

GALEEN  
Very good. Is there anything I need to be concerned about?

Aeon looks up, silently. Cut to Pat watching as Thaler Soldiers take their places as security alongside the armed Cultists, forcing the general Prisoners to stand shackled near the ledge. Thaler and Flamberge stand behind Galeen as Cultists grab Zwei and bring him up to the main ledge of the waters. Zwei gets to his feet and Is held there by a pair of CULTISTS. He starts to struggle, when Thaler aims his blunderbuss at him. Zwei angrily settles down. Cultists shackle up the other Prisoners around the edge of the waters.

GALEEN  
Bring me our envoy.

Cultist Envoy is carried forward in the arms of another Cultist. Galeen holds his hand.

CULTIST ENVOY  
I'm sorry I couldn't live to see his rise, Father Galeen.

GALEEN  
Oh, but you will, old friend. Have you made your peace?

CULTIST ENVOY  
Y-yes.

GALEEN  
Then stand.

Cultist sets down Cultist Envoy, badly burned and standing through sheer force of will. Zwei's eyes go wide.

ZWEI  
What the hell?

Cultist Envoy staggers forward, standing at the edge of the waters. He prays all the while. After a moment, he falls in, praying as he falls. Everything goes quiet for a moment as there are ripples and an orange light in the water followed by bloodcurdling screams from Cultist Envoy just barely audible from underwater. Galeen smiles to Zwei.

GALEEN  
He should be grateful for the honor. Learn from his example. He will live on in his purest agony through Astaroth. Come forth, werewolf. It is your turn.

Zwei steps forward, pushed by Cultists, prepared for the worst and gritting his teeth.

ZWEI  
I promise you I'm not dying alone today.

GALEEN  
Oh, I'll keep that in mind. Would any of you, my proud sons want to shed this beast of his will? I feel a scythe is best suited for the task. You gentlemen with flails can wait for the general prisoners.

Pat steps forward, as do all the other Cultists with scythes.

CULTIST 5  
I will, Father!

CULTIST 6  
And I!

All Scythe Cultists jump at the chance, yelling enthusiastically until Pat shouts above the rest.

PAT  
I'll bleed the insubordination from his veins!

Everyone is quiet as Galeen smiles widely.

GALEEN  
Oh, I love your phrasing! You first, child! The rest of you, do not despair. There is enough of him for everyone to get a slice.

Pat walks over to Zwei, who is held in place by chains around his wrists linking him to the ground. Pat leans in to speak to Zwei. Cut to VIOLA watching through a hole in the roof.

VIOLA  
That would be him.

ZWEI  
You sick bastard! Get the hell away from me or you'll wish you had.

PAT  
Good job back there getting captured, jackass.

ZWEI  
Pat? Well, that's unexpected. What can I say, it's not my fault. He used some booze laced with silver and then broke the bottle over me. Ein's out of action until I take care of that.

Pat starts to brush off Zwei's shoulder.

PAT  
I can't have the dust slowing down the scythe as it tears your arm from the socket!

ZWEI  
Vile fiend!

PAT  
So dastardly!

Galeen and the others look on, unamused. Pat steps back to swing the scythe at the chain. Zwei holds the chain tight, but then looks to see a knife flying at Pat thrown by Galeen.

ZWEI  
Look out!

Pat is forced to drop the scythe, blocking with Soul Calibur. The knife is caught on his robe and tears it, partially revealing Pat's clothes underneath. Thaler shoots his blunderbuss at them. Pat blocks with his shield, throwing off the rest of his stolen robe. Pat puts Soul Calibur back in his shield as he pulls out Zwei's sword, breaking Zwei's chains, handing off the sword. Zwei grabs the sword, rising to his feet. The ceiling of the chamber is busted open by Arcanum. Everyone looks up to see a large chunk of ceiling fall. It lands on a few Thaler Soldiers and Cultists. Thaler, Flamberge, and Galeen are furious. Thaler tosses his blunderbuss to one of his Soldiers for them to reload, drawing his hunting knife. Arcanum continues, crashing through one of the massive pillars on the side of the entrance stairs. It begins to violently topple onto some of the Crossbow Cultists, killing many of them. Cut to view above the room. Viola jumps off the ledge, grabbing Arcanum midair and using it to glide down to the floor. She lands between Pat and the charging Flamberge. Arcanum deflects Flamberge's swing. She kicks a Thaler Soldier in the chest, causing him to fall back into the water with a large splash. Zwei looks at this and then looks up, seeing the full moon.

ZWEI  
Pat, you're going to have to trust me on what I do next.

PAT  
Alright... what would your plan be?

ZWEI  
You'll see. Do me a favor and don't follow me. HYAAAAAAA!

Zwei charges at two Cultists, who armed with a flail and trying to pray respectively. He catches them both by the neck and jumps with the two of them into the waters. Galeen laughs, Thaler and Flamberge are confused, and Pat and Viola are horrified.

PAT and VIOLA  
ZWEI!

GALEEN  
Marvelous! Now to kill the psychic waif and the wielder of Soul Cabilbur itself! Thaler, I promise you ten werewolves if you kill the boy!

THALER  
Flamberge, we have a job!

Flamberge runs at Pat, sword drawn as Pat braces himself with his shield.

GALEEN  
My sons engaged in prayer, it is your destiny to raise him. Do not stop until Astaroth has returned!

VIOLA  
See if you can grab him!

PAT  
He told me not to!

VIOLA  
Yeah, he also told me that he and Ein once ate an entire pie cart! Including the cart! Bottom line, he's dumb! Try to save him!

Pat holds off Flamberge and Thaler, now using his hunting knife, blocking a flurry of hits effectively with his shield, but having his own hits blocked in return. Viola swings Arcanum around in an arc to hold off Soldiers and Cultists. One Cultist breaks the line, swinging his flail. Viola sidesteps, sticking her claw in the links of the chain holding the flail, directing its flow to the Cultist's gut, killing him. Two crossbow bolts fire at her from across the waters. She dodges one and uses Arcanum to barely block the other. Two Soldiers charge at her with longswords, as she struggles to shake off the chain of the flail from her claw. She slams Arcanum into one of them, sending him flying back, while the other continues to approach. Viola recovers her claw, only to sidestep another flail swing, launching Arcanum into the other from behind. Zwei and the Cultists are in the water. Time seems to slow. The prayer cultist is grabbed by a series of auburn ghost hands, reaching all over him and clawing into him. He screams underwater. Cut to Zwei and remaining Cultist staring in horror. The bloody shreds that were once his body but are now indistinguishable as a former person. Cultist's soul turns orange and materializes as an emaciated orange zombie-looking form, joining the hands that once again move towards the two. Zwei scrubs his hair, face, chest and jacket, and the silver flecks fall off of him. The remaining Cultist turns around, for the first time realizing what he's gotten into and tries to swim away. Zwei puts a foot on his face and kicks him towards the hands. Cultist struggles against them. Zwei is now freed of the silver. He looks up to see the moon, clearly visible by the hole Viola created. He closes his eyes.

Flashback to BANDITS, a band of criminals with distinctive outfits of matching coats over plate mail attacking Zwei's village. TOWNSFOLK wielding sickles, pitchforks, and woodcutting axes are failing to fight them off. The Bandits have spears, swords, and rifles, clearly outclassing them. The Bandits' leader, the BANDIT BOSS, is the one from episode 5. BARKEEP and Townsfolk fall back as the Bandits and Bandit Boss chase them, laughing. Suddenly, Ein grabs one's feet from behind a wall and drags him away screaming. The Bandits stop, Bandit Boss motioning for them to branch out and search for the assailant. Two of them run off behind a building. From their direction, a violent clanging and stabbing noises are heard. The remaining nine Bandits and Bandit Boss run to see what it is. They find Young Zwei, holding his sword by the hilt-guard next to the bodies of their two associates. The Bandits surround him, Bandit Boss stepping forward with an even grander sword, pointing it at Young Zwei's neck.

BANDIT BOSS  
This is the one I've been telling you guys about. He's the kid that's been screwing with our operation and more importantly the one who made off with my sword, my gun, and the amulet! You're dead, kid.

YOUNG ZWEI  
I traded away the gun, I kinda like the sword, and I don't know what to tell you about the amulet.

BANDIT BOSS  
You didn't...

YOUNG ZWEI  
I made a new friend.

BANDIT BOSS  
You couldn't handle a wolf, brat. You're lying.

YOUNG ZWEI  
I'm not, actually. You couldn't have handled it. I reckon the only reason he agreed to the bond was he liked the cut of my jib. With some trash like you, he'd probably rip your face off and willingly fade away.

BANDIT BOSS  
Kill him.

A Bandit on either side of Zwei aims at him point blank with a musket. Young Zwei smiles as Ein grabs the front of each musket and redirects them at the other shooter. The Bandits shoot the muskets before realizing and are shot dead. Young Zwei charges at Bandit Boss, who blocks with his sword. Young Zwei swings the sword, hitting him in the arm. Bandit Boss thrusts his sword at Young Zwei. Young Zwei blocks, forcing the blades down and kicks Bandit Boss in the gut, a move mostly absorbed, but not fully, by his armor, knocking the wind out of him. Bandit Boss motions for the rest of the Bandits to charge in. Three Bandit Spearmen and four Bandit Swordsmen charge in. Young Zwei steps back towards a house. The Bandits charge at him from alongside the house. Young Zwei throws his sword at a window as the Bandits pass it, causing glass to splinter in two of the Spearmen's faces, causing them to drop their spears and clutch at their faces. Young Zwei grabs one of the fallen spears, fatally stabbing its former owner and sweeping the feet of an advancing Swordsman. He throws the spear into the gut of another advancing Swordsman, who dies. Young Zwei stands unarmed as the first Spearman reaches him, about to strike. Ein surprises the Spearman, biting him by the neck and lifts his pained body to block one of a Swordsman's slashes. Young Zwei dives to pick up his sword. He swings his sword at a Bandit, delivering two quick, painful strikes to his leg. The remaining two Swordsmen charge in and Young Zwei runs at them. As they're about to reach each other, Ein appears behind the two, clawing the two up into the air, helpless. Young Zwei twirls his sword, slashing the two of them as they land. Bandit Boss has managed to sneak up on Zwei, about to lodge his sword in Young Zwei's shoulder, as Young Zwei's body surges with Ein's light blue aura. Ein catches the sword, snarling as Bandit Boss shivers. Bandit Boss smiles, dropping his sword and throwing a concealed knife at Young Zwei. Ein disappears as Young Zwei catches the knife in his teeth. Young Zwei grabs Bandit Boss's sword, twirling it into his hand. Bandit Boss steps back, looking around for Ein. Young Zwei whistles to get his attention, raising the golden sword. Bandit Boss looks at him. Young Zwei lowers the sword, pointing it at Bandit Boss. Bandit Boss looks up to see Ein snarl at him, hanging from a rooftop. Ein pounces down on him as he screams and the screen goes black. The Townsfolk come out to see Young Zwei standing around the bodies of the Bandits with Ein behind him. Young Zwei twirls his sword and holsters it in a small leather strap on his belt.

As the sword is fully holstered, abruptly cut back to modern Zwei, underwater, looking up at the moon, holding his breath as if that memory took only a second or two to cycle through in his head. He starts to lose his breath. The remaining Cultist's body, already reduced to limbs, further degrades, torn apart further and further by the water and the Soldier Viola kicked in is practically dissolved as well. The Cultist's emaciated, orange, zombie-like soul moans, leading the floating charge on Zwei. Ein materializes as an aura over Zwei, mostly transparent, giving Zwei new breath in the process. Ein and Zwei roar together as they dispel and disperse the charging orange ghouls with a single swing. They're about to thrust up from underwater to break onto the surface from a jump, when the Ghoul hands reemerge to grab at Zwei and Ein's legs, holding them down. ELYSIUM flies into the water, and with a wave of her hand, blowing away the Ghouls in a swipe of green light. She turns her head to Ein and Zwei. As she doesn't breathe and is a spirit, her voice comes through perfectly clear.

ELYSIUM  
Reach up.

Ein and Zwei do, grabbing Arcanum. They're surprised as they see it and are quickly lifted up out of the water. Arcanum flies off to resume a defensive orbit around Viola. Galeen is frozen in a rage.

PAT  
Zwei!

VIOLA  
It's called the doggie-paddle, dumbass. I would've figured you knew of it.

ZWEI  
Where's Thaler?

PAT  
Right over here, actually!

THALER  
Damn it, he freed the wolf! Flamberge!

Flamberge raises his sword as Thaler throws his blunderbuss to a Soldier to reload as the two of them approach Zwei. They walk past Pat, who gets into a stance to attack them.

PAT  
Alright. Zwei, you take the big guy. I'll take the guy whose face is having the worst day of its life.

THALER  
I think you won't.

ZWEI  
Behind you!

Galeen shouts, furious at losing his key sacrifice and at the idea of Elysium destroying his golem. He glows in an orange aura, drawing his ceremonial dagger, leaping at Pat a distance further than is humanly possible. Pat quickly blocks with his shield. Galeen slashes at Pat in a flurry even faster than the combined efforts of Thaler and Flamberge. Pat struggles to block, but succeeds fairly well. Pat launches a counterattack, thrusting Soul Calibur at Galeen's head. Galeen parries, hitting once on either side of Soul Calibur. Pat withdraws his sword and hits Galeen hard in the gut with his shield. Galeen is clearly wounded, but doesn't skip a beat. He grabs Pat by the hair with his left hand about to stab his head with the right. Pat slashes at his head first, deeply cutting his cheek as Galeen releases the knife from his right hand and catching it in his left, stabbing Pat in the gut. Pat winces, swinging back at Galeen's head. Galeen withdraws, dodging, twisting the blade on the way out. Elysium floats in the water, expanding the wave of green light that surrounds her towards the other end of the waters. She doesn't strain herself as the Ghouls apply force to the orange waters to hold her back. The Ghouls are slowly losing ground. Elysium keeps a determined but calm look, pushing further into the waters with a graceful release of energy from her hand. As she gets further and further in, she sees more of the waters. As she nears the middle, she sees an enormous arm, proportional to a massively muscular body roughly ten feet tall. The rest of the body is obscured by the orange murkiness, though she can see a powerful beating heart glowing orange-red just beyond the arm. She is now surprised and concerned. She raises her opposite hand, about to strike with a large enough wave of energy to exorcise the body, when her mind flashes to an image of wounded Pat. He looks disappointed as she flies out of the water, returning to the sword, held at Pat's side. Pat's wounds begin to stabilize as he breathes deeply, regaining his focus, staring intently at Galeen, who is pleased that he saved Astaroth, confidently pointing his dagger at Pat.

GALEEN  
No one can kill Astaroth. I'll see to that. Of course, he will be able to see to it himself as soon as he awakens.

Pat glows with a green aura. Pat and Galeen charge at each other. Cut to Viola fighting off a circle of Soldiers and Cultists that has her surrounded. She kicks an advancing Soldier down, slashing his throat as he tries to get up. Cut to Arcanum smashing a chain. A Soldier charges at Viola and as she transitions into a kick delivered into that Soldier's midriff. Cut to Arcanum smashing a chain. As he crouches in pain, Viola slashes his face deeply and then shoves him screaming into the path of two Cultists. Cut to Arcanum smashing a chain. The cultist does a horizontal scythe swing, which Viola catches in between two crossed claw fingers, forcing the scythe blade into the ground, further than the Cultist intended. Cut to Arcanum smashing a chain. Viola punches the Cultist in his throat with her spiky, metal claw and he goes down. Viola falls back, reduced to blocking as more and more Cultists and Soldiers pour in. At the back of the Cultist-Soldier coalition's closed ranks, a scythe impales a Soldier from behind as he was looking forward at Viola. The Soldier slumps as the scythe withdraws, revealing a handful of the Prisoners, angered and having grabbed some of the weapons left by the dead Soldiers and Cultists. The Soldiers and Cultists turn to fight back, alleviating the strain put on a tired Viola, who only engages with a third of the mob she once was as the others run off to fight the Prisoners. Her claw flies at the face of an unlucky Cultist. Cut mid-action before the hit onto a similar action of Thaler and Flamberge fighting Zwei. Zwei is dodging, not even using his sword.

THALER  
What's the matter? Too hurt to use your sword?

Zwei backhands Flamberge, who falls down, quickly recovering. Zwei sidesteps Flamberge's upward slash, himself slashing deep wounds into Flamberge's forearm with ethereal claws. This time, Flamberge doesn't recover instantly. Thaler stabs downwards at Zwei, who dodges, leaving only a mild scrape, though this hurts greatly. Zwei jumps back as Thaler waves the hunting knife, now visibly made of silver. Zwei grunts in rage.

ZWEI  
Nope.

Zwei dodges more of Thaler's slashes. Flamberge raises his sword, the two of them on either side of Zwei. Zwei turns back and forth between the two of them as Thaler keeps swinging and closes in. Zwei dodges, time seemingly slowing to him, quickly falling to the ground and pouncing quickly like a wolf onto Flamberge, rolling him over, digging his claws into his gut and kicking him off with a large degree of force. Flamberge lands in the path of a thrust of Thaler's dagger, stabbed fatally. Thaler is mad at this, carefully laying down Flamberge's body. Thaler turns to the Soldier he ordered to reload his blunderbuss.

THALER  
NOW!

Soldier throws the blunderbuss to Thaler, but Zwei pounces, catching it in midair. He cocks it and shoots the surprised Soldier, Ein glowing especially brightly over him as he leans the blunderbuss on the ground and snaps it in two, tossing the half he'd left holding aside.

ZWEI  
Ein wanted to be here for the action himself. Pretty fun having your peers hunted to extinction, huh?

THALER  
You say that now, but you forget I have enough silver to tear out your throat ten times over in a matter of seconds.

Zwei, with his Ein over-soul, prepares to issue a powerful strike. Thaler, blinded by his weapon's advantage walks menacingly toward him. He raises the knife to make a slash at Zwei.

ZWEI  
Ready?

Ein snarls signalling "yes". Zwei and Ein's slash breaks through the blade of the knife, sending the blade clanking onto the stone floor. Ein's paw is smoking from the burns, but he feels it is worth it, the moonlight already healing him. Thaler looks at the broken knife, knowing he's really in for it now.

ZWEI  
You enterprising types and your status symbols. With all the wolves you fought, were you ever curious what it would be like to be mauled and then eaten across the space of infinite dimensions? You'll be dead, yeah, but those parts of you will be digested infinitely over all planes of reality. See, the second you pissed me off, I knew you hadn't thought about that.

Ein leaps from Zwei onto a screaming Thaler, forcing him to the ground.

ZWEI  
Sic 'em.

Cut back to Pat clashing Soul Calibur with Galeen's dagger. Pat pushes Galeen back with his sword. Pat jabs him in the face with his shield. Galeen stabs back once, but Pat parries. Galeen grabs Pat's right arm with his left, about to rush in to stab him again, but Pat rolls to the right, rising and twisting Galeen's arm behind his back. He tosses Soul Calibur up, catching it with his left hand and stabbing Galeen with it.

PAT  
Your golem will never awaken. Soul Calibur will see to that.

Galeen looks down to see the blood gushing out of him. He can't feel the pain and could muster another couple minutes of fighting at full force before bleeding out.

GALEEN  
On the contrary. In minutes, he'll be grinding it into dust after prying it from the maimed wreckage that was once your body, a murderous child and traitor, bleeding out like an any of our sacrifices. In fact, wouldn't your soul make a fine addition to his being if we tossed you in as his awakening feast?

Galeen stabs with his right hand behind him as Pat withdraws Soul Calibur and steps back. Galeen's subsequent slash is blocked by Pat's shield. He swings his foot around, kicking at Pat's ribs. Pat absorbs the hit, in turn kicking Galeen with the opposite leg. Galeen slides back and stands bloodily to his feet, delusional.

PAT  
It didn't work on Zwei and it won't work on me.

GALEEN  
Our mistake was not breaking him enough. Trust me when I say it won't happen again.

PAT  
It certainly won't.

Galeen is about to run at Pat when a thrown hand axe becomes lodged in his back, paralyzing him. Pat looks up to see Aeon drop from the ceiling as the rest of the Lacertae, about thirty or so, drop from the ceiling, where they had been clinging since Zwei had resurfaced. The Lacertae land, circling around the Survivors and the waters themselves, the Cultist Priests, still praying, are relieved by the backup, unaware of Aeon's actions. A Lacertae gets behind each Cultist Priest, stabbing them in the chest, receiving a look of pain, fear, or betrayal, and kicks them into the waters. The Lacertae close ranks around the remaining Soldiers and Cultists, now numbering roughly fifteen. Prisoners are left out of the circle and back up to safety, having suffered only light casualties from the distracted and tired Soldiers and inexperienced Cultists. Zwei looks up, Thaler's gory remains out of frame. Viola lowers her weapons, resting Arcanum under her arm, and walks cautiously out of her fighting location, allowed to leave the circle by the Lacertae. Pat is shocked and turns to Aeon, who puts a foot on the still-conscious, now paralyzed Galeen and grabs the axe as he leans in close.

AEON  
...Sa...cri...fice...

Everyone is stunned. Galeen spurts blood with every word.

GALEEN  
Y-you... can sp-speak?

Aeon smiles devilishly as he yanks out the axe and Galeen groans. Aeon looks to Pat, who has since composed himself.

AEON  
Deal...Go...

PAT  
I had no idea you'd... alright. There's still one more part of the deal. I kill the golem.

GALEEN  
You damned fr-freak! If you l-let him-

Aeon snarls, pointing to the large axe resting in the wall. Six Lacertae leap to it, three on either side.

PAT  
I'm gonna cleanse it with the sword. You don't-

Aeon hisses at Soul Calibur as the Lacertae's eyes are drawn to it.

VIOLA  
Pat. Think about this.

ELYSIUM  
(inside Pat's head)  
These are creatures of evil every bit as dangerous as Galeen's sect.

PAT  
(inside his head)  
Viola's beat, Zwei's presumably healing after having gone through hell, we have captives to look out for, and on top of all that, I gave my word.

ELYSIUM  
(inside Pat's head)  
Loyalty means nothing to him. Sooner or later, you'll have to hunt him down again.

PAT  
Fine.

GALEEN  
NO!

Aeon nods to the Lacertae, who kick the giant axe in unison, sending it spinning into the center of the waters. It lands, the hilt of the hilt sticking out of the water. The heartbeat that had been going over the course of the episode stops. Galeen is speechless.

AEON  
Deal...done...Leave.

PAT  
You heard him. A deal's a deal.

Pat, Zwei, Viola, and Prisoners leave, going up the stairs as Aeon motions for the Lacertae. The Lacertae slaughter the remaining Cultists and Soldiers offscreen. At the top of the stairs, Pat looks up to observe this. Viola puts a hand on his shoulder and Zwei stands by. The three of them leave, following the Prisoners. Cut back to Aeon, now holding up Galeen helplessly.

GALEEN  
Aeon, y-you have w-won... I... have only one request. Grant me that, at least...

Aeon holds an axe, but instead of cleaving Galeen's head in two, he pauses for a moment. He throws Galeen into the water.

Later on, Pat, Zwei, and Viola gather up in a tavern, talking over beers.

VIOLA  
You sure you want to be drinking that, Zwei? Remember what happened last time you had a drink?

PAT  
I had no idea werewolves were susceptible to everything the old folklore said.

ZWEI  
Silver and shirts. Werewolves deal in neither. By the way, thanks for helping back there.

PAT  
Anytime.

VIOLA  
Don't make a habit of it.

ZWEI  
So, how about those lizards? As it turns out, Ein wasn't full eating Thaler. They grow back limbs! It's like a never-ending gecko steak.

VIOLA  
You forget that they outnumbered us, I was tired and you had been hurt nearly as bad as Flamberge's face.

PAT  
Elysium's still mad at me for that, but you figure we killed an entire wing of an ancient, malfested cult.

ZWEI  
After teaming up with the other wing.

PAT  
We'll track them down later.

ZWEI  
I get the feeling they were only at the temple because that's what Galeen commanded of them. Odds are, they'll hit the road and wreak havoc all over.

PAT  
At least Galeen's dead. And you've protected the wolves.

ZWEI  
Yeah, for now. I love 'em, but that doesn't mean their days are any less numbered. Dumbasses are greedy; I figure wolves have another couple centuries left.

VIOLA  
You've made peace with that.

ZWEI  
What else is there to do? They're like family at his point. Even if they're gonna be wiped out someday, that doesn't mean I'm giving up on them. And no family of mine is gonna fade away while I'm still breathing.

Cut to Galeen as he sinks into the water and sees the fading remains of Ghouls in the clearing water. Astaroth is visible, motionless, until Galeen sees a faint beat of his heart, positioned on the outside of his chest, partially cut by the axe, stuck vertically in his chest. Galeen's eyes widen in joy. He chants to himself, finishing the chant with what's left of his air. Ghouls surge back to life, grabbing Galeen and tearing him to shreds as he smiles, laughing as his very lungs are destroyed. The heartbeat returns, stronger than ever. Astaroth's massive hands grab the axe. He yanks the axe out of his chest. Astaroth's hand emerges from the waters, grasping the axe. Lacertae around the waters stop to stare and Aeon sneers, preparing for a fight.

END


End file.
